Past Encounters
by Megane 6.7
Summary: The official sequel to 'Hammer to Fall', this story has Akane travelling back in time nine years to thank the boy that helped her through her childhood grief. Of course, when that boy is Ataru Moroboshi, you know things are bound to get weird....


"PAST ENCOUNTERS"  
  
(A Urusei Yatsura/Ranma 1/2 Crossover)  
  
From the Desk of Megane 6.7 (megane67@rogers.com)  
  
This is a work of Fiction. All Characters and Landmarks, are the   
property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan Video, Kitty Films, Viz   
Video, Animeigo, Shonen Sunday, and anyone else who legally owns   
the rights.   
  
This story is a direct sequel to "Hammer to Fall" written by Sean   
Gaffney. (gaffney@iconn.net) It uses some elements from that story and I   
have permission from him to use them in this sequel. It helps to read that  
story first before you read this one. You can find it at the TASS Ranma   
Fanfic Archive. (http://www.tass.org/fanfic/ranma.uy.hammer-to-fall)  
  
Historian's Note: In this universe, Urusei Yatsura is nine years behind  
Ranma 1/2, which takes place in the present, 1997.   
  
  
PART 1: You can't go home again (but you can time travel just fine)  
  
  
MAY 21, 1997   
THE TENDO DOJO  
2:00 P.M.  
  
  
Akane sat quietly on the porch, staring at her hands and   
occasionally gesturing towards the sky. She had a puzzled expression  
on her face as if trying to solve an unseen puzzle in her mind. A   
moment later, Kasumi came out of the house, carrying a basket of   
clothes, and walks over to the closeline to hang them up to dry.   
  
Akane didn't notice her at first until she heard something.   
She looked up in surprise to see Kasumi softly singing to herself as   
she placed a pair of overalls on the line. She stopped when she noticed   
Akane staring and smiled at her. Akane returned it and then resumed   
her attempts to create lighting out of her fingers.  
  
"Have you had any luck?" Kasumi inquired.  
  
Akane sighed. "No, and it's driving me crazy. I've always   
wanted a special technique of my own and now I can't get it back...."  
  
"Maybe it only works on Ranma?" Kasumi suggested.  
  
Akane smirked. "Maybe... but I don't want to waste it on a  
baka like him. She frowned again. "Right now, I'd be happy to know  
how I managed to pick it up in the first place...."  
  
"You mean you don't remember?" Kasumi asked, surprised.  
  
"Remember what?" Akane asked, a look of puzzlement on her  
face....  
  
"I just finished telling Ranma and the others about it earlier.   
Does the name Moroboshi Ataru bring back any memories?"  
  
Akane's brow furrowed. "Ataru... Ataru...."  
  
Kasumi gave her a brief but detailed recap of her experiences in   
Tomobiki and being helped by Ataru and his friends. After she's finished   
telling the story, Akane is close to tears as she remembers how hard it was   
to give up the memory of her mother.  
  
"If it hadn't been for him... There's no telling what might   
have happened to me. I can't believe I would forget something like   
that...."  
  
"You were seven years old. Things fade away with time."   
Kasumi pointed out.   
  
"I never even had the chance to thank Ataru for all his help."  
Akane said as she looked down at her hands once more.  
  
"You still might have a chance." Kasumi said.  
  
Akane looked back up at her sister who only smiled. Then  
she suddenly realized what Kasumi meant and stood up to go into  
the house, making a beeline towards the phone. She took the phone  
book from underneath and began searching for the name Moroboshi in   
Nerima Ward. When she finally found it, she began dialing.  
  
The dial tone rang several times and Akane considered   
hanging up to try again later when the line picked up.  
  
"Hello?" The voice was female and sounded very old and tired.  
  
"Hello, is this the Moroboshi Residence?"  
  
"Yes." The voice answered flatly. "If this is another   
insurance company complaining about my idiotic son...."  
  
Akane winced at that but plunged onwards. "Umm... no.   
My name is Tendo Akane and I was wondering if you could tell me  
how to reach your son, Ataru? I have something important to tell him."   
She paused for a moment. "Something I need to thank him for."  
  
There was a dead silence. Akane wondered if the connection  
had been cut when suddenly there was a loud snarl on the other end.   
Akane gasped in surprise and held the phone away from her ear as the  
voice on the other end exploded.  
  
"THANK HIM!?!? THANK MY IDIOTIC, INGRATE,   
WORTHLESS CHILD FOR ABANDONING HIS MOTHER AND   
LEAVING HER TO GROW OLD AND DIE WITHOUT EVEN   
LEAVING A FORWARDING ADDRESS!?!?! AFTER ALL THE  
SUFFERING I ENDURED FOR HIS STUPIDITY AND HIS ONI  
BIMBO!??! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO   
THANK SUCH A...."  
  
Akane quickly hung up the phone, silencing the terrible   
voice filled with anger. She couldn't believe Ataru could have been   
raised by someone like that and been as kind as he was.  
  
"Akane, is everything okay?" Kasumi's concern voice asked  
as she saw the expression on Akane's face.  
  
"I... I couldn't find out where he was." Akane replied,   
deciding not to mention Mrs. Moroboshi's outburst.  
  
"I'm sorry Akane."  
  
"It's okay, Kasumi. Maybe I'll run into him again   
someday." Akane replied in a disappointed voice. "I think I'll go   
practice in the dojo....  
  
"Ranma's in there now. You can practice with him."   
Kasumi said.  
  
Akane made a face. "If I go in the dojo now, Ranma will   
beg me to teach him that lightning strike and I want to have something   
over him the next time we spar...."  
  
"Maybe fighting with Ranma will help you produce that   
lightning strike...."  
  
"No, I want to learn it on my own." Akane replied, setting her  
jaw stubbornly as she walked upstairs to change into her training gi....  
  
  
***   
  
  
Akane was about to undress in her room when she suddenly   
a cold shiver wash over her. She immediately stopped and shouted.   
"Who's there! Show yourself!"  
  
Happosai leapt from the ceiling and tried to glomp onto her.  
Akane instantly reacted, leaping out of range and assuming a battle  
stance. "Why you....!?!"  
  
"Why Akane, is that any way to treat someone who has the   
answer to your problems?" Happosai said with a sly grin.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Akane demanded, not   
relaxing her stance for an instant around the old lech.  
  
"I overheard you wanting to visit someone from your past. I   
can make it happen."  
  
"How?" Akane asked, curious.  
  
"Why this of course!" Happosai exclaimed as he pulled out a  
smaller version of the Nan-Ban mirror. "I finally managed to fix it   
after Nabiki cracked it before. All you have to do is let your tears fall  
on it while thinking of the place you want to go and you're there before  
you know it! Then when you're finished, just cry on it again to return  
home. It's that simple."  
  
Akane considered the pervert's words. On one hand she did   
want to thank Ataru for his help but venturing into the past wasn't what  
she had in mind. Then again, it might be her only chance....   
  
"All right." Akane reached out for the mirror.  
  
Only to have Happosai hide it in his clothes again. "Not so   
fast, m'dear. There a price for my help...."  
  
Akane groaned and rolled her eyes. "Let me guess...."  
  
  
***  
  
  
THE BRIDGE  
  
  
Akane stood nearby the river with Happosai. She had an   
onion in one hand and the other held a pair of panties. Happosai's   
eyes were fixed on them as he gently placed the Nan-Ban mirror on   
the ground. "Okay, now give me the panties!" Happosai demanded.  
  
"Catch!" Akane replied as she threw them into the air.   
Unfortunately she threw them a little too high and the wind caught it,  
causing Happosai to give chase. Soon he was out of sight.  
  
"Have fun chasing a piece of paper." Akane thought to herself  
with a smirk. Akane then walked over to the mirror and picked it up.   
She then placed the sliced onion under her nose and squished it slightly.   
Akane's eyes began to water as she closed her eyes and remembered   
back to that day....  
  
A moment later, Akane vanished.  
  
  
***   
  
  
MAY 21, 1988  
2:30 P.M.  
  
  
Akane felt strange for a moment and then looked around her   
to see... the bridge.  
  
"D-Did it work?" Akane wondered to herself. Everything  
looked the same. There didn't seem to be any changes....  
  
Then Akane noticed a big rock sitting nearby the bank. A   
rock that she would, out of anger, throw into the river about nine years  
from now....  
  
She really had gone back in time.  
  
Akane reached into her pocket and retrieved a page from the   
phone book, torn out before she had left, with the Moroboshi's address  
on it. She quickly set out, leaving the bridge far behind....  
  
As she walked down the street she marveled at how little   
things had changed. The advertisements were different and there were  
a few stores that no longer existed in the future, but all in all, things   
were pretty much the same.  
  
She went to the bus stop and took the bus across town to where  
the Moroboshi's lived. Fortunately, the driver didn't look closely at the  
date on the coins she used. Once there, she got off and started walking in   
the direction of their home. As she did, she saw a boy not too far   
ahead of her looking extremely uncomfortable as a small girl hugged   
his leg and cried for her mommy. Their backs were turned to Akane   
and she paused as she overheard their conversation....  
  
"Hey, it's okay, don't worry. Are you lost?" the boy asked.  
  
The girl momentarily stopped her sobbing. "I'm not lost!"   
She then looked around, bewildered. "I just...don't know where I am."  
  
"Well, you're in Tomobiki. Do you know where that is?" the   
boy replied.  
  
The girl's eyes widened. "I think Daddy mentioned it once. I   
wonder how I got here?"  
  
The boy winced and was silent for a moment before   
continuing. "Tell you what, why don't I help you get home? I know a   
woman who can find out where you live. She's a priestess, and very   
good at things like that!"  
  
The girl's eyes widened. "A priestess? Wooooww..."  
  
The boy grinned, and grasped her hand. "C'mon, she's just a   
block or two down the road. By the way, what's your name?"  
  
"Tendou Akane."  
  
"Well, Akane-chan, I'm Moroboshi Ataru, and..."  
  
The older Akane's eyes widened with shock. "T... that little   
girl is ME!" She had never expected to be brought back in time on the   
same day as when this actually happened! She found herself hiding   
behind the fence, out of sight as a green haired girl wearing a tiger-skinned   
bikini and a handsome looking boy in a white suit stalked towards Ataru   
and her younger self. Akane kept herself hidden while watching them.   
  
She found herself reacting to everything that was said and   
done. She frowned when the white-suited boy, who she now   
remembered as Mendou Shutarou, attacked Ataru and accused him of   
molesting her. She smiled as she saw how awed her younger self was   
at Lum's abilities and she giggled when she kicked Mendou in the shin,   
even then not taking any guff from stupid boys.   
  
When they left to see Sakura, Akane followed and watched   
from a respectable distance, not wanting to interfere at this point and   
mess things up for her younger self. When Sakura told her to let go  
of the memory of her mother and the seven-year-old Akane vowed to  
make her mother proud, Akane was crying with her, tears running   
unashamedly down her cheeks, trying not to sob out loud and make   
her presence known. Then she found herself laughing again when the   
younger Akane knocked the ugly monk into the sky, the first time she  
had ever been able to summon her mallet.   
  
Then Sakura took the younger Akane and started to leave.   
The older Akane wiped the tears from her face and decided now was   
the proper time to introduce herself and thank them all....  
  
Taking a deep breath, she walked around the corner, putting   
herself into their line of sight.  
  
"Umm... Pardon me...."  
  
Ataru and Lum looked at her. Then, before Akane could   
react, Ataru has plastered himself to her waist and gently rubbed his  
head against her. "Hey babe! How about a date! Just give me your   
name and phone number...."  
  
"DARLING NO BAKA!!!" Lum's voice was filled with   
anger as her body crackled with electricity. Ataru saw the danger   
and tried to run, only to be pulverized by 50,000 volts of electricity.   
Akane could only gape in shock as Ataru was soon deep fried and   
collapsed unconscious on the ground. Lum flew over to him and   
gently cradled him in her arms. "Gomen..." She bowed to Akane   
in apology. "My husband's sickness has returned." Lum sighed as   
she took off into the sky, carrying Ataru with her.  
  
"W... Wait a minute! Come back!" Akane called out to the   
rapidly disappearing couple to no avail. Akane was completely   
confused. A moment ago, Ataru had been so sweet and caring to   
her younger self. Now all of a sudden, he had attacked her like a   
Happosai wannabe. Lum had mentioned some kind of sickness....  
  
Akane toyed with the idea of going home and leaving it at   
that. Then she shook her head and exclaimed. "No! I'm come this  
far... I can't turn back now!" Akane resumed her journey to the   
Moroboshi household....  
  
  
***  
  
  
Sakura was taking Akane back to her home. "Sakura-san, why   
did Ataru-san try to attack that woman after they left?"  
  
Sakura smirked. "Just his natural tendencies reasserting   
themselves. I don't know, Akane, maybe you have a power like Lum's   
that makes men want to protect you....."  
  
  
***  
  
  
MAY 21, 1997  
THE TENDO DOJO  
3:20 P.M.  
  
  
Ranma lay on his back in the dojo, staring up at the rafters.  
His mind was racing. "I've got to find out how Akane managed to zap  
me like that! If I can find a counter to her mallet, there must be a   
counter to that lightning!"  
  
Ranma smirked as another idea came to mind. "If I could   
learn that technique from Akane, I'd have a nice surprise for Ryouga the  
next time he comes challenging me...."  
  
With that, Ranma leapt to his feet and started looking for   
Akane. After checking all the rooms in the house, he went outside to   
see Kasumi tending to her flower bed. "Kasumi, do you know where   
Akane is?" Ranma asked her politely.  
  
"I saw her a couple of hours ago. She said she was going   
to train in the backyard and went upstairs to change into her gi but   
when she came back out, she left still wearing her regular clothes.   
  
"Did she say where she was going?" Ranma inquired.  
  
"To the bridge, I think. She mentioned something about   
wanting to train by herself...."  
  
Ranma frowned. So that's what Akane what up to. "Trying to  
keep her technique a secret from me, huh? Ha! Fat chance!" Ranma   
quickly ran out the front gate....  
  
  
***  
  
  
THE BRIDGE  
3:30 P.M.  
  
  
When Ranma arrived at the bridge, he was surprised to see   
Happosai sobbing into what appeared to be a bra but on closer   
inspection was a piece of paper shaped like a bra. Happosai was   
blowing his nose into it between sobs and Ranma decided to find   
out why Happosai was so sad.  
  
"Yo! Old freak! What's the matter?" Ranma inquired   
nonchalantly.   
  
Happosai looked up and glared at him. "Is that how you greet   
your master?"  
  
"You're not my master. I'm just wondering why you're   
crying like a baby over a crumbled piece of paper. What's the matter,   
Akane con you or something?"  
  
Ranma started to chuckle when he suddenly found himself   
airborne via Happosai's spinning pipe. This sensation quickly passed   
though as he plunged into the freezing cold river. A moment later,   
Ranma-Chan emerges, spitting up water. "Hey! What'd do that for?"   
she screamed, outraged.  
  
"Ranma, I am not in the mood for your smart ass remarks today.   
I have been cheated of my prize by your fiancee and I plan to seek my   
revenge....  
  
"BY MAKING YOU WEAR THIS BRA!!!" Happosai   
proclaimed happily as he latched himself to Ranma-Chan's breasts.   
"KYAAAA!" Ranma-Chan screamed as she tried to yank Happosai  
off her ample assets. "LET GO OF ME, YOU OLD FREAK!!!"  
  
After a long struggle, a exhausted Ranma-Chan made her way   
out of the water, carrying a bruised and beaten Happosai. "Stupid   
pervert...." She grumbled under her breath as she dropped Happosai   
to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Unfortunately, in addition to   
being soaking wet, she was no closer to finding Akane. Then Happosai   
coughed and looked up at Ranma-Chan. A lecherous grin appeared as   
he admired how her clothes stuck to her shapely body when wet.  
  
"Don't even think it, old man." Ranma-Chan growled,   
wearily assuming her battle stance once again.   
  
"How could so be so cruel to this kindly old man?" Happosai   
asked with an innocent look on his face.  
  
"Don't make me laugh! Now's where's Akane?" Ranma-Chan   
demanded.  
  
"Akane?" Happosai feigned confusion but Ranma-Chan was  
having none of it.   
  
"Where is she? You must have seen her? Did she give you   
that fake bra for something?"  
  
"Well...." Happosai deliberately paused for a long moment,   
causing Ranma-Chan temper to flare up. "Actually, she and I did  
make a MINOR transaction...."  
  
  
***  
  
  
THE TENDO DOJO  
3:45 P.M.  
  
  
"YOU WHAT?!?!"  
  
Soun Tendo's face was mask of horror and fury. Ranma also  
looked none-too-pleased as Happosai recounted his arrangement with  
Akane for the mirror. "YOU DARE TRY TO PURCHASE ONE OF  
MY DAUGHTERS PANTIES!!!" Soun roared, his parental instincts  
taking over.  
  
"Yeah, what about it?" Happosai replied coolly while looking  
Soun right in the eyes.  
  
"Uh... n-nothing master!" Soun immediately backed down as   
reason overcame revenge. "But I still don't like the idea of my little  
girl being alone in the past by herself."  
  
"Daddy, I think Akane can take care of herself." Nabiki said.  
"After all, she's got that new lightning trick of hers...."  
  
"But the last time I saw Akane, she hadn't been able to   
summon it again." Kasumi replied in a worried voice.  
  
"Ranma! As Akane's fiancee, I demand you do something!"  
Soun said to Ranma.  
  
"What do you want me to do about it? I can't time-travel any  
more than you can!" Ranma retorted.  
  
Soun immediately collapsed to his knees and starting wailing.  
"WAHHH!!! My youngest daughter is alone and defenseless in the past!"  
  
"Both of you are worrying over nothing." Happosai said as he  
took another puff from his pipe. "Akane can return to the present any  
time she wants by crying on the mirror again. She'll be back home   
again before you know it."  
  
"She'd better or you're going to be a thing of the past, old   
man." Ranma replied coldly without a trace of humor.   
  
Suddenly Ranma found himself being hugged by a crying   
Soun. "Oh happy day! My son-in-law loves my youngest daughter   
after all! Oh I knew you would see the light one day, son! I'll make  
arrangements for the wedding as soon as Akane gets back and...."  
  
"WAIT A MINUTE!!!" Ranma shouted, silencing Soun's   
babbling. "I never said I wanted to marry that uncute sexless tomboy!  
I... I just don't want Akane to... well... you know...."  
  
"Don't want her to what, Ranma?" Kasumi asked sweetly.  
  
"Um... that is... you know... mess up the space-time thing... make   
it so everyone ceases to exist or something like that...."  
  
Everyone except Ranma facefaulted.   
  
"Hey... it could happen." Ranma replied feebly.  
  
  
***  
  
  
MAY 21, 1988  
OUTSIDE THE MOROBOSHI HOME  
3:25 P.M.  
  
  
Akane made her way up the sidewalk. She could hear voices  
shouting loud enough to be heard from outside but not loud enough to  
distinguish the words. Again, Akane had second thoughts about   
visiting Ataru but she steeled herself and finished walking up to the   
front door.   
  
She was about to knock when the door suddenly flew open  
and something slammed into her, sending Akane flying backwards to   
land on the sidewalk. Akane winced as a sharp pain made itself aware  
in her tailbone as she gathered herself and saw Lum on top of her,   
doing the same. Lum floated off Akane and then offered a hand to pull  
Akane to her feet.   
  
"Gomen." Lum bowed in apology and then took a good look at  
the girl she had run into. "Aren't you the girl I just....?"  
  
"Hai." Akane replied, feeling a little embarrassed. "My name   
is Tendo Akane."  
  
"Akane?" Lum's eyes widened in surprise. "You have the   
same name as that little girl Darling and I helped out earlier today...."  
  
"In more ways than one." Akane replied. "I am that little   
girl, nine years later." Seeing the shocked expression on Lum's face,   
she pressed on. "This may be a little hard to believe, but I managed to   
go back in time about nine years...."  
  
"You have a portable time-machine?" Lum asked, curiosity   
replacing her initial shock.   
  
"Sort of." Akane replied.   
  
"I didn't think human technology would advance so far in  
nine years...." Lum said with a little fear in her voice.   
  
"Well, in some ways it has but this time travel device is a   
little different." Akane explained. "Anyway, I came back nine years  
into the past because I wanted to thank you and Ataru for helping me  
out when I needed it the most. If Ataru hadn't found me...."  
  
"Thank him? In what way?" Lum suddenly asked, a note of  
suspicion in her voice.  
  
Akane was surprised at the sudden change in Lum's demeanor.  
"Well, I... I just wanted to thank him for being there for me and...."  
  
"You're not here to take him out on a date, are you?" Lum   
asked with a trace of anger in her voice.  
  
"What? No! I just want to say thank you. That's all!" Akane  
assured Lum while wondering to herself why Lum was being so jealous   
of Ataru.  
  
But then Lum's mood changed back to being pleasant and she   
smiled. "I understand. Sorry I snapped at you, it's just I've had   
problems in the past with people trying to steal my darling who were   
associated with him from the past...."  
  
Akane blinked. "It's a long story." Lum replied while   
giggling at the bewildered expression on Akane's face. "She must not  
be familiar with Tomobiki and all the stuff that happens around here."   
Lum thought to herself. "Come on inside." Lum invited Akane into   
the house.   
  
"Uh... okay." Akane replied timidly, deciding to just go with  
the flow for the time being. She followed Lum inside the house.  
  
"Wait here." Lum told Akane as she started to float up the   
stairs. "I have to tell darling about you and make sure he doesn't attack  
you again...."   
  
Akane watched Lum until she disappeared into one of the   
rooms. "Why would Ataru attack me? I'm so confused...." Akane   
thought to herself as she waited at the bottom of the stairs. Then the  
sound of a phone ringing, caught Akane's attention and she looked down   
the hall to see a haggard looking middle aged woman wearing a pink  
apron answer it. She politely asked who it was and Akane was about to  
turn her attention back to the stairs when a loud voice startled her.  
  
"IT'S NOT MY FAULT!!!! MY STUPID WORTHLESS SON  
IS THE ONE YOU WANT TO TALK TO!!! I'M ONLY HIS POOR   
MOTHER!!!" Mrs. Moroboshi screamed into the telephone. Akane   
tried to ignore her but her voice was so loud, it carried throughout the  
house.   
  
"HE CAUSED HOW MUCH DAMAGE!?!? THAT'S   
IMPOSSIBLE, NO ONE PERSON COULD... I KNOW HE'S NOT   
HUMAN, I HAD TO RAISE THE MORON!!! LAWSUIT? HA! GO  
RIGHT AHEAD!!! WE BARELY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO   
LIVE AS IT IS, WHAT WITH THE EMBARRASSINGLY LOW   
SALARY MY HUSBAND EARNS...."  
  
Akane was starting to get a headache from all the shouting.   
She turned away from the hallway and then noticed a middle-aged   
man wearing a gi similar to her fathers and reading a newspaper,   
completely oblivious to everything around him. If it wasn't for him   
turning the pages occasionally, she could have sworn he wasn't even   
real. She glanced at the front page from her position, hoping for a   
distraction from Mrs. Moroboshi's tirade when she noticed the front   
page story was at least a week old. Akane suddenly had an   
overwhelming urge to get the hell out of there, go back to her own  
time and be with her family. She started to leave when a soft voice  
behind her called out.  
  
"Shinobu! It's so nice to see you again!"  
  
Akane turned around and saw it was Mrs. Moroboshi, with a  
smile on her face. Mrs. Moroboshi's face fell slightly when she saw she  
had mistaken Akane for someone else but was still relatively cheerful.   
"Oh, I'm sorry. I though you were someone else. Welcome to our   
home. Are you a friend of Lum?"  
  
"Well, actually I'm here to see her and Ataru...."  
  
With the mention of her son, Mrs. Moroboshi's face seemed to  
age ten years. "I see." she replied coldly. "Are you someone that my   
son molested?"  
  
Akane was mortified. "No! Your son helped me....he's one of  
the nicest boys I ever known in my life!" she shouted, the anger   
welling up inside her.  
  
Mrs. Moroboshi was taken aback for a moment but only a   
moment. "Ha! If Ataru hasn't tried to grope you yet, it's only a matter  
of time. You'll find out." Mrs. Moroboshi replied warily as she sighed  
deeply. "Oh, I wish I'd never had him...."  
  
Akane found herself growing furious. How could someone be  
so cold towards their own son? This woman made Genma look like a   
saint! Still, Akane tried to keep her anger in check as she was a guest   
in this house. Despite her best efforts, Akane's body was beginning to   
spark....  
  
Mrs. Moroboshi seemed to notice this and quickly backed   
away. "Uh... I think I'd better check on dinner!"  
  
Akane looked down at herself as the little sparks of electricity  
stopped after a moment. She had almost summoned the ability to shoot  
lightning again. "Maybe anger is the only way to use this power."   
Akane thought to herself sadly.  
  
A moment later, Lum emerged from the room and floated back  
down the stairs. "Okay, he's awake and ready to see you now." Akane  
followed Lum up the stairs. On the way, Akane whispered to Lum.   
"Have Ataru's parents always been this way?"  
  
Lum looked confused. "What way?"  
  
"You know... yelling and ignoring him all the time...."  
  
"Yeah, ever since I came here. But I'm sure deep down they   
love, darling." Lum replied cheerfully.  
  
"But Ataru's mother wished Ataru had never been born...."  
Akane said.  
  
"She always says that. Darling just ignores her." Lum   
replied as they came to Ataru's room. She opened the door and walked  
inside, Akane following close behind, deciding to drop the matter for   
now.  
  
Ataru was lying in a futon in the middle of his room. To those  
who didn't know him or know how tricky he could be, he looked like a   
poor victim of electrocution in tremendous pain. Unfortunately, that  
was what Akane saw as she walked into the room.  
  
"A-Ataru....?" Akane inquired gently, surprised at his   
appearance.  
  
"Is someone calling me?" Ataru whispered, doing an   
impression of someone who had been in a coma for years. Lum,   
however, wasn't fooled. "Knock it off, darling or I'll shock you   
again...."  
  
Ataru stopped the sick act and sat up, giving Akane a look  
that instantly reminded her of her last encounter with Happosai. She   
tried her best to ignore it as she introduced herself.  
  
"Pleased to meet you!" Ataru replied in a cheerful voice.   
"What's a cute girl like you doing in a time period like this?"  
  
Akane smiled despite herself. "Actually I'm here to thank   
you."  
  
Ataru's cocked an eyebrow "Oh?"  
  
"Yes, If you hadn't stopped to help me when you did, there's  
no telling what might have happened to me. I'm very grateful for what  
you did for my younger self and I wanted to thank you for everything. I  
tried to call you in the future, but...."  
  
"But what?" Ataru asked, looking concerned all of a sudden.  
  
"Um... You weren't home." Akane covered, realizing she   
shouldn't reveal aspects of his future before he experienced them. "So   
I time traveled here from nine years ago to do it personally."  
  
"How are things nine years from now?" Ataru casually inquired  
as if asking about the weather.  
  
"Well...." Akane hesitated. "It's not much different than now."  
Akane replied honestly.  
  
"Really? I'd like to hear more about it? How about we go get   
a cup of coffee?"  
  
Before Akane could reply, Lum jumped in. "Darling....!" she  
warned.  
  
Ataru held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "I only want to  
find out how Akane's life had been doing since I helped her out and  
tell her about my own! There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"  
  
Lum softened. "Oh. Okay! Let me get changed and I'll be   
right with you."  
  
Ataru frowned. "You don't have to come Lum. I just want to  
talk to Akane...."  
  
"I helped her too Darling! I'm coming along!" Lum was firm.  
  
"I'm telling you, that isn't necessary!" Ataru was getting upset.  
  
"I don't care! I'm coming and that's that!" Lum replied angrily.  
  
"Uh guys...."  
  
Ataru and Lum both stopped arguing and turned to look at   
Akane, who looked nervous for some reason.  
  
"Maybe I should be going home now... My family will be   
worried about me...." Akane started to back away.  
  
"Oh, please don't!" Ataru pleaded, putting on a serious face.  
"I'd really like the chance to get to know you better...."  
  
Akane wasn't sure she liked the way that sounded but decided   
to take one more chance.   
  
"Okay."   
  
  
***  
  
  
MAY 21, 1997  
THE TENDO DOJO  
5:30 P.M.  
  
  
It was a tense situation in the Tendo household as Soun was   
carving a groove in the floor from his pacing back and forth. Ranma   
was trying his best to stay nonplused as he waited for Kasumi's dinner  
along with the rest of the family. Then Happosai walked into the living   
room, a bag of fresh panties slung over his shoulder. Soun and Ranma  
glared at him.  
  
"You boys still worrying about Akane? I already told you she   
can return to the present any time she wants!" Happosai admonished as he   
took a seat at the table.  
  
"Dinner's ready!" Kasumi exclaimed as she brought it out   
and set it on the table. Genma, Nabiki and Happosai immediately dug  
in, Ranma joining them a moment later. Kasumi noticed her father   
didn't seem interested and she gently placed an arm around him.   
"Don't worry, father. I'm sure Akane will be all right. She just wanted  
to properly thank Ataru for his help. Aren't there people who helped  
you in your life that you never got a chance to thank?"  
  
Soun slowly nodded while Happosai suddenly looked up, a   
look of surprise on his face. "Ataru? As in Moroboshi Ataru?" he   
inquired.   
  
"You've heard of him?" Soun and Ranma asked at the same   
time.  
  
Happosai's face was unusually contemplative. "Somebody I   
once met at a grape festival in China... a Buddhist monk named... um...."  
Happosai snapped his fingers rapidly.  
  
"Cherry?" Kasumi said.  
  
"Yes! That's it! Cherry...." Happosai shuddered   
involuntarily. "He was the most annoying person I've ever met in my  
life and had an appetite almost as big as my own. During the festival,   
he got drunk and starting telling me all these stories about Tomobiki. I   
was drunk as well so everything he said was funny to me at the time. He   
droned on for hours and hours about this one kid who had an unlucky   
face and that it was fate that his future was doomed. The kid's name   
was Moroboshi Ataru, I'm sure of it, and even after I sobered up and had  
an enormous hangover, the monk wouldn't shut up about him until I   
bashed him into the sky.   
  
Ranma shrugged. "Okay, so Ataru's unlucky. Big deal, that   
won't hurt Akane...."  
  
"But there was one other thing the monk said about Ataru,   
something which stuck in my mind and made me want to visit him,   
though I never got the chance thanks to being trapped in a cave for  
ten years!" Soun and Genma wilted under their master's glare.  
  
"What's that?" Ranma asked.  
  
"As I recall, Cherry mentioned something about Ataru being the  
most lecherous being in the universe...."   
  
"NANI!?!?" Soun was on Happosai in an instant, throttling   
him. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!" Soun screamed.  
  
"H-Hey it wasn't my fault! I didn't know she was going back  
to see HIM. I thought she just wanted to see an old friend." Happosai   
defended himself as he sought to escape the wrath of Soun's demon head.  
  
"You're worrying over nothing. Akane handled herself pretty   
well against Kuno and the other schoolboys for years before Ranma   
here came along." Nabiki patted Ranma on the back.  
  
Soun was having none of it. "We have to save her!" he said as  
he grabbed Happosai by the front of his gi, any fear of his master having  
vanished under another surge of parental anger, this one much more   
powerful. "You're going to take us to see this Cherry fellow!"  
  
"What?!?" Happosai yelped. "But for all I know, he might be  
dead!"  
  
"You're alive. For the moment. Therefore he may be as well.  
Take us to him. NOW." Soun's tone was dangerously low and   
menacing.  
  
"Okay, already!" Happosai relented. "Just don't blame me if  
the little freak drives you insane!"   
  
"Look who's calling the kettle black." Nabiki muttered under  
her breath as Soun and Ranma left the room with Happosai in tow.   
Genma continued to eat his dinner until Ranma came back in and   
grabbed him by the collar, pulling him along.  
  
"Come on, Pop! If I'm going to be dragged into this, so are   
you!"  
  
"But I haven't finished eating!" Genma whined.  
  
  
***  
  
  
MAY 21, 1988  
A COFFEE HOUSE  
3:50 P.M.  
  
  
A waiter emerged from the kitchen carrying several orders of   
coffee and other food. He went from table to table, delivering them to   
various customers. Then, when only one cup remained, the waiter   
walked up the stairs to the second floor where a single occupant sat by   
himself at a table next to the railing. The waiter walked up to him.  
  
"Your coffee, sir." The waiter gently placed the cup and saucer  
in front of the customer and bowed before leaving. The customer slowly  
reached for the cup and took a long sip, wincing slightly at the   
temperature. He took off his glasses, the steam from the coffee blinding him  
momentarily. He used his napkin to clean them, and replaced them on his  
face. He then released a long sigh.   
  
"Another day will soon end...." Megane thought to himself   
bitterly. "Another day without her by my side. Another day of suffering   
and endurance that has no end in sight." Megane's face darkened.   
"Another day of her heart being stomped and spit on by the devil   
incarnate, Moroboshi." The anger on his face vanished and his eyes   
began to water. "A... Another day she fails to see him for who he   
really is....  
  
Megane removed his glasses again to wipe his eyes and gather  
himself. "Another day of rejection, pity, sorrow, anguish, destruction,   
desolation, and just plain stupidity...."  
  
Megane replaced his glasses and stared at his coffee for a   
long time. "Another day... God I'm depressed...." Megane softly   
muttered to himself as he nursed his drink. He considered leaving  
when a familiar voice caught his attention.  
  
"Darling! Over here!"   
  
Megane looked over the rail and saw Lum, Ataru and Shinobu  
walking over to a table. Curious, Megane abandoned his own table   
and walked over to another that was just above their location. He was  
surprised to see the girl with Lum and Ataru wasn't Shinobu after all   
but a girl he didn't recognize. Briefly weighing the moral aspects of   
eavesdropping on their conversation, Megane decided to listen in, not  
having anything better to do at the moment....   
  
  
***  
  
  
As Lum talked to the waiter, Akane admired the interior of the  
coffee shop, not noticing that Ataru was admiring the exterior of her   
body.  
  
"She's just like Shinobu...." Ataru thought to himself. "Not   
big busted and gorgeous like Lum but beautiful in her own way. And   
she likes me! She's not repulsed by me! This is my big chance! If I   
can just get her alone for a little while, I can use her admiration for   
more interesting expressions of appreciation...." Ataru began to   
daydream....  
  
  
*Dream Sequence*  
  
  
A breathtakingly beautiful picnic spot overlooking a vast forest   
suddenly appears. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, petals gently   
fall from the pink trees as Ataru Moroboshi and Akane Tendo sit on a   
old fashioned red and white checkered blanket. Ataru is taking various   
items of food out of a gigantic picnic basket while Akane takes in the   
view and then smiles warmly at him.  
  
"Oh, Ataru-Sama... I'm so grateful for what you did for me as a  
child. Without you, my life would have been empty and void of passion.  
I can never thank you enough...." Akane proclaimed, her eyes sparkling.  
  
Ataru gently embraced her with his strong arms, his handsome  
face... (Hey, this is a dream sequence after all.) ...smiling down at her.   
"Akane, It was my pleasure to help a cute babe like yourself."   
  
"Oh Ataru-Sama... You're so good to me." Akane whispered.  
  
"Akane...."  
  
Akane placed her hand on Ataru's cheek while Ataru stroked   
Akane's soft hair, smelling of peach blossoms. Then Akane leaned in   
close for a kiss, slowly closing her eyes. Ataru felt his heart beating   
faster with excitement as their lips began to touch....  
  
"DARLING!!!"  
  
Ataru suddenly snapped out of it, ending the dream sequence.   
He looked over to see Lum with an angry expression on her face. "Why  
are you staring at Akane like that!" She demanded to know.  
  
Ataru looked over at Akane who seemed to be uncomfortable   
for some reason. "I was just... um... trying to picture her as the young   
girl she once was." Ataru quickly replied with a nervous laugh.  
  
"Then why are you drooling?" Lum pointed towards the thin  
string of saliva hanging from the corner of his mouth.  
  
"Because... because I'm hungry! That's why!" Ataru suddenly   
raised his voice, attracting the attention of the entire restaurant. "Come   
on! We're starving over here! Hurry up!"  
  
Lum frowned at him, not really believing his excuse but   
deciding to let it pass for now. Akane, in the meantime, was beginning  
to wonder if visiting Ataru had been a mistake after all. She had noticed   
Ataru's gaze and while it wasn't as lecherous as Happosai's, it still   
made her feel uncomfortable.  
  
"Akane?"  
  
Akane looked up, realizing Ataru had just asked her a question.  
"Come again?"  
  
"I just asked how you've been doing since we met." Ataru   
repeated, his face showing no sign of the lust he had displayed a few   
moments ago.  
  
Akane told them about her life in general, omitting certain   
details that she felt they didn't need to know and ending with her   
current engagement to Ranma.  
  
"You're engaged?" Lum exclaimed, a look of relief washing  
over her face.  
  
"Yes, but it wasn't my choice. Our father's arranged it and   
we're not too happy with being forced." Akane replied.  
  
Ataru's face suddenly became serious as he replied. "I know   
exactly what you mean. I've been through something similar myself...."  
  
"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?!" Lum shouted, looking   
furious.  
  
Ataru instantly backpedaled. "I was talking about ELLE! Not  
you!"   
  
Lum instantly calmed down. "Oh. I'm sorry, darling! I   
thought...."  
  
Ataru acted hurt. "No one believes in me anymore...."   
  
Lum floated over to her husband and hugged him close. "I   
believe in you, darling. I'm sorry."  
  
Akane smiled but the smile faded slightly when she noticed   
Ataru was leaning his head against her well-endowed chest, clearly  
enjoying himself. Then he noticed Akane looking at him and sat up.   
"Let me tell you a bit about myself...." Ataru began.  
  
Only to have Lum interrupt him. "Darling and I are married.   
We've been living together at his house for a while now."  
  
Ataru gave an irritated look to Lum. "Do you mind? I can   
speak for myself." he chided her before continuing. "Anyway, you   
may remember me as the *ahem* hero who saved the entire world  
from the threat of invasion from the evil oni during the tag race...."  
  
"We're not evil!" Lum retorted. "Dad just wanted to use this  
planet for a vacation spot!"  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Ataru replied. "Anyway, after running   
non-stop for nine days....  
  
"Actually he spent the last three in the hospital when his   
homemade jetpack exploded on his back...."  
  
"I'm telling this story, Lum!" Ataru shouted. Lum went   
silent as he continued. "On the tenth day, I managed to catch   
Lum's horns and save the entire world...."  
  
"Then Darling proposed to me and we were married on the  
same day!" Lum finished for him happily.  
  
"Really? That's so romantic!" Akane replied. "But I don't  
remember anything about a tag race...."  
  
"Well, I've been here for about a year so you would have been  
only six when it happened...." Lum replied. "Actually a lot of people  
seemed to have forgotten about it otherwise darling would be more   
popular...."  
  
Ataru was seething. Lum was ruining his every opportunity   
to impress Akane. He had to do something before Akane starting   
treating him like all the other girls did. "It's not my fault things   
happen to me!" Ataru suddenly spoke up, sounding depressed.   
"Cherry keeps saying I have an unlucky face. My parents might as   
well be invisible for all the support they give me...."  
  
As Ataru continued to list his reasons for being unfortunate,   
Akane found herself thinking back to her encounters with his mother.  
"Maybe that's why he's acting the way he is. I just can't believe   
someone who would be willing to help out a little girl would also be  
a lecher like Happosai. Happosai probably wouldn't even spare a   
moment to help someone in trouble." Akane thought to herself. "But   
then, why is Ataru acting this way?" She decided it was time for some   
answers....  
  
Pretending to reach for the sugar, Akane *accidently* bumped   
her hand against Ataru's coffee cup. Unfortunately, instead of spilling   
it onto the tablecloth as she planned, the cup bounced off the table to land  
in Ataru's lap. Ataru screamed in pain as the hot coffee splashed onto a  
very sensitive part of his anatomy. Lum grabbed some napkins off the   
table and began to wipe the front of his pants. Then noticing the entire  
restaurant looking at him, Ataru quickly grabbed the napkins from Lum   
and rushed towards the boy's bathroom, assuring a concerned Lum that   
he could clean himself up.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Megane barely managed to contain his laughter as Akane   
knocked Ataru's teacup into his lap. "There is a god after all." Megane   
thought to himself with a smile. The smile quickly faded though as Lum  
began to wipe his pants in full view of the restaurant! Megane was about  
to voice his disapproval, when Ataru stopped Lum and took off for the  
bathroom. When Lum resumed her seat at the table, Megane briefly   
considered going into the bathroom to confront Ataru but decided to stay  
put.   
  
  
***  
  
  
"Lum, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" Akane was   
apologizing profusely while feeling guilty. She had only meant to cause  
a distraction...."  
  
"It's all right. It was an accident, right?" Lum replied with a   
smile.  
  
"Well, not exactly. The truth is I wanted to ask you a few things   
before Ataru gets back." Akane said.  
  
"Like what?" Lum asked, curious.  
  
"Well... For starters... Why is Ataru the way he is? I mean, nice   
one minute and... different the next?"  
  
Lum was silent for a long moment. "I've asked myself that   
question a lot and I'm still not really sure. Almost everyone I know thinks  
he's terrible and that I should leave him for good. But they don't know   
him like I do. Even when he chases after other women and I think that   
I'm being made a fool of, he suddenly tells me that he cares for me and   
that he never meant to hurt me. I've tested him a few times to see if he   
really cared about me and he does but then when I try to care for him,   
he tries to find another woman instead."  
  
"That sounds really... complicated. But it's familiar too. The   
person I'm engaged too, Ranma, he's got two other fiancees and a   
psychopathic gymnast chasing after him. He says he's not interested in  
them but then he never tells them to get lost for good either. I don't really   
know how he feels about me, I'm not sure I know myself...." Akane said.   
  
"I love darling and I know deep down he loves me. It used to   
really bother me when I was ignored but even though he chases other   
women, he's never gotten close to any of them. Of course, I usually   
shock him before he gets anywhere NEAR that close."  
  
Akane was shocked. "How can you live like that? If Ranma  
and I were to...." Akane blushed. "...get married... I would be crushed   
if he still chased after Shampoo and Ukyou and...."  
  
"It's not easy." Lum interrupted. "But I have faith that one day,  
Darling will finally settle down and we'll spend the rest of our lives   
together. If you really care for Ranma, and you're sure he really cares for  
you, one day, you two will be married as well."  
  
"I... I don't know... I don't know if we...." Akane faltered.  
  
"I'm not saying you will for sure." Lum said. "You might find  
happiness with someone else or he might do the same. All I'm saying is  
that if he's truly worth fighting for, then don't give up hope."   
  
Akane was silent for a moment before nodding, a small smile   
appearing on her face. "I will. Thanks for everything, Lum." She   
looked outside to see the sun slowly beginning to set. "I think it's time  
I got back to my own time. It was really nice meeting you and Ataru  
again." Akane said as she stood up and bowed deeply.  
  
"Likewise." Lum replied as she rose from her seat and returned  
Akane's bow. Then Ataru suddenly appeared and noticed they were   
standing. "What's going on?" he asked.  
  
"I have to be getting home now." Akane replied as she turned   
to face Ataru and started to bow again but instead leaned forward and   
gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Ataru looked pleasantly surprised  
as Akane said. "Thanks again, Ataru." She walked towards the door and  
before she left, paused to add. "Be nice to Lum." Then she was gone.  
  
Ataru stared at the door, gently rubbing his cheek. Lum started  
to charge herself up, expecting Ataru to chase after her only to be   
surprised when instead he slowly returned to his seat, a calm expression   
on his face.   
  
"Darling?" Lum prodded him. "Aren't you sorry to see her go?"  
  
Ataru looked up at Lum. "Why? Did you want me to chase   
her?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
"No! Of course not!" Lum quickly replied. "I'm just a little   
surprised that you're letting go of her so easily."  
  
Ataru shrugged. "I don't mind. After all, I already have a girl  
who I can admire...."  
  
"Darling...." Lum's eyes began to sparkle....  
  
"Yep, after all, Shinobu and Akane almost look identical." Ataru  
finished.  
  
Lum froze. Then her face contorted with rage, her body starting   
to spark.   
  
"DARLING NO....!!!"   
  
"Just kidding!" Ataru suddenly exclaimed with a playful grin.  
  
"Oh, you!" Lum gave chase as Ataru bolted from his chair,   
leading Lum on a merry chase throughout the coffee shop before finally   
running out the door. As Ataru strove to gain distance from Lum, he  
suddenly saw Akane heading in his direction, a scared expression on her  
face. Ataru immediately stopped and asked. "Hey Akane! What's   
wrong?"  
  
Akane's voice was tinged with fear as she slowly replied.   
"It's gone."  
  
"What's gone?" Lum replied, floating down from the sky.  
  
"The mirror. The Nan-Ban mirror. I can't find it! Without it,  
I can't go home to the future!"   
  
"Maybe you dropped it in the coffee shop?" Ataru suggested.  
  
"That's why I was coming back." Akane said as she, Lum and   
Ataru walked back towards the shop.   
  
  
***  
  
  
Megane had resumed his seat at his table and was about to   
leave when he saw Lum, Ataru and Akane enter the shop once again.  
He watched as they returned to their table and seemed to be looking for  
something. The girl, Akane, seemed to be panicked about something....  
  
  
***  
  
  
"I can't find it! It's not here!" Akane exclaimed, her voice   
beginning to shake.  
  
"Maybe you dropped it on the street." Ataru replied as he knelt  
on his hands and knees, scanning the carpet for the mirror. As he   
continued to look, he bumped into something and glanced up to see a   
pair of legs. A waiter crouched down to Ataru's eye-level. "Looking for  
something, sir?" he asked.   
  
"Pardon us, you haven't seen a little mirror around have   
you?" Lum asked as she noticed the waiter talking to Ataru.  
  
"Not to my knowledge." The waiter replied as he rose to his   
feet. "I'll certainly keep an eye out for it should it turn up."   
  
Lum thanked the waiter as he left. Then she turned around  
to face Akane. "When did you notice it went missing?"  
  
"I don't know!" Akane replied frantically. "The last time I   
remember holding it was at the bridge before I left for Tomobiki-Cho!   
What am I going to do?! Without that mirror, I'll be stuck in the past   
forever!"   
  
"Don't worry, you can live with us! I'll even share my futon  
with you!" Ataru replied cheerfully.  
  
"Darling!" Lum glared at him.  
  
"Just trying to lighten things up." Ataru said nervously.  
  
"It's okay, Akane." Lum said in a reassuring voice. "Even if   
we don't find your mirror, we can use one of my time traveling devices   
to send you back."  
  
Akane looked up in surprise. "Time-traveling device?"  
  
"Yeah, you attach it to a teacup and it takes you to any time you  
want. I've used it a few times and so did Darling...." Ataru glared at   
Lum for a moment while she stuck out her tongue in reply.   
  
Akane relaxed. "Well, that's a relief."  
  
Lum suddenly frowned as an unpleasant thought came to her.   
"We should still try to find the mirror first. If someone else gets their   
hands on it, there could be trouble...."   
  
  
***  
  
  
THE MOROBOSHI HOUSEHOLD  
5:00 P.M.  
  
  
Mrs. Moroboshi sighed at she glanced at the clock and noticed  
how close it was to dinnertime. She had been enjoying the peace and   
quiet now that Ataru and his bimbo had left the house and she had cut  
the phone cord. Now Ataru would soon be home, no doubt bringing   
chaos and destruction upon her home once again. She would have to   
fend for herself while her worthless husband hid behind his newspaper  
as usual. Oh, how she wished she had never had Ataru. To be young  
and free again. She hadn't felt alive since Rei, the one good thing Lum  
had brought to earth, had briefly stopped by the house once and   
declared his love for her. Maybe it was an accident but she didn't   
care. She wanted to feel that way again.   
  
As she kept a eye on the dinner she had prepared, she walked  
out of the kitchen and noticed the trash bags sitting by the door. Pausing  
to glare at her husband, she picked them up and took them outside to  
the curve. As she returned, she caught a glimpse of something shiny on  
the sidewalk. Reaching down to pick it up, she noticed it was a mirror.  
  
She looked into the mirror and saw her own reflection, mocking   
her and looking almost as old as she felt. Tears began to form in her eyes  
as she realized how much time had been taken away from her and how   
she never had the chance to live her life the way she wanted too. Then a   
single tear fell from her eye to land on the mirror, while Mrs. Moroboshi  
tried to remember the days when she was young and pretty, instead of the  
tired old woman that stared back at her....  
  
Then she suddenly vanished.  
  
  
***  
  
  
A LITTLE LATER....  
  
  
Ataru, Lum, and Akane made their way up the sidewalk,   
Akane was calmer now that she was assured of getting home   
momentarily. Ataru was by her side and delighted that he was able to  
spend a little more time with her. Lum, on the other hand, grew more  
concerned over not being able to find the mirror, fully aware of the   
dangers of messing around with time-travel.  
  
"Are you sure your mom won't mind me staying for dinner?"  
Akane asked, feeling guilty for imposing.  
  
"It's okay. She's used to unexpected guests." Ataru replied,  
already picturing his mother wailing about giving birth to such a idiot.   
He sighed and Akane seemed to sense his mood change, giving him a  
small smile.  
  
Ataru opened the door. "I'm home!" he called out. To his  
surprise, there was no answer but Ataru noticed a cloud of smoke   
emerging from the kitchen. The smell of burnt vegetables reached his  
nose as he ran inside and quickly turned off the oven. The girls   
coughed as Ataru opened the windows trying to air out the kitchen.   
Fortunately the Moroboshi's were too cheap to install fire alarms so  
there was no ear-piercing screech to assault their senses. After Ataru  
threw out the burnt dinner, he went into the living room, where his   
father was still reading the paper, ignoring the smoke.  
  
"Hey, Dad! Where's Mom?" he asked.  
  
After a long moment, Mr. Moroboshi looked up from his   
paper. "Did you say something, son?"  
  
"Never mind." Ataru sighed as he returned his attention to the   
girls. "Let's go up to my room." Everyone else nodded and followed him   
upstairs. Mr. Moroboshi briefly returned his attention to the paper but then  
looked up once more, sensing something was amiss.  
  
"Honey? Are you smoking? Honey?"   
  
  
***   
  
  
As Ataru opened the door to his room, he noticed his window  
was opened and shut it while Lum went into the closet and began to   
search through her things for her time travel device. After a few   
minutes, Lum reappeared with a confused expression on her face.  
  
"That's funny. I could have sworn I left it right here. Darling,  
you haven't been playing with it, have you?" Lum asked.  
  
"No way! I lost my appetite for time travel a long time ago!"  
  
Lum grimaced at the bad pun while Akane began to look  
worried again. Then Ataru noticed something. "Hey, what's this?"  
  
Ataru walked over to his desk and saw a small note with  
the name LUM written on it. He picked it up and read it aloud.  
  
"Dear Lum, My time-travel device is busted so I had to   
borrow yours. Will return it in three days. Sincerely, Ran."  
  
"NANI!?!" Akane snatched the note from Ataru's hands,   
reading it over. Then she looked up, her face pale. "Oh no... I have to  
spend three days stuck in the past....!"   
  
Ataru placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder while barely   
concealing an expression of glee. Three days! Three days to get to know   
Akane better! He could already picture the expression on Shutaro's face   
when he showed her off around school. This was going to be a lot of   
fun....   
  
Lum frowned as she noticed the not-quite-concealed   
expression of glee on Ataru's face. She knew from that look that Ataru  
already had plans for Akane, most likely of the lecherous kind. She   
didn't want to upset Akane any more than she already was so she decided  
to deal with her darling later...."   
  
"I'm sorry, Akane. I shouldn't have gotten your hopes up like   
that...." Lum said with an expression of guilt on her face.  
  
"It's okay. You didn't know." Akane replied, still looking a   
bit shell-shocked.  
  
"Don't worry, Akane. You can stay here until Ran brings back   
the time machine." Ataru said.  
  
"Oh no, that's okay. You've both done so much for me   
already...." Akane began.  
  
"Don't be silly. Where else are you going to stay in the past?"   
Lum pointed out.  
  
Akane began to protest when she realized they were right. She  
had not brought along any supplies or money, never expecting to have  
stayed so long in the past. "I'm sorry to be such a burden...." Akane   
sighed.  
  
"Don't worry about it." Ataru reassured her. "After all, now   
you can experience life in the past for three days and we can learn a   
bit about the future."  
  
"Darling, it's very dangerous to know too much about your   
own destiny...." Lum cautioned.  
  
"Funny. That didn't stop you from interfering in my past a   
few times...." Ataru pointed out.  
  
Lum blushed. "I-I was very careful...."  
  
"Uh-huh." Ataru wasn't buying it.  
  
Lum quickly changed the subject. "Anybody else feeling   
hungry?"  
  
"Now that you mention it...." Akane replied.  
  
"Well, tonight's dinner was burnt to a crisp. But we still have  
plenty of...."  
  
"Darling. I'm not eating Cock-a-doodledoo noodles again!"   
Lum replied firmly.  
  
"But they're my favorite!" Ataru whined.  
  
"Forget it, Darling. I can whip up something on my UFO"  
  
Ataru's eyes widened with horror as he remembered how spicy  
Lum's cooking could be. "W-Wait! Let's not be hasty! Akane can  
make us something!"  
  
"Darling! Akane is our guest! You can't just....?!?"  
  
"Wait Lum! I don't mind!" Akane interrupted. "It's the least  
I can do to repay you!"  
  
"Are you sure it's no trouble?" Lum replied.  
  
"Not at all." Akane replied....  
  
  
***  
  
  
Megane made his way home, the conversation between Akane  
and Lum running through his mind. While he hadn't been able to hear  
the entire conversation, he had heard enough to gather that for some  
unfathomable reason, Akane seemed to be in debt to Ataru and that she  
was unique in a way. Megane would have to ask Lum about it tomorrow   
at school....  
  
  
***  
  
  
MAY 21, 1997  
TOMOBIKI-CHO  
6:30 P.M.  
  
  
The sky was growing dark as Ranma, Soun, Genma and   
Happosai walked down the street. "I still don't know why you brought  
me along! I already told you I have no idea where Cherry lives in   
Tomobiki!"  
  
"Well, we've already checked the phone book and he doesn't   
seem to have an address." Genma said. "Maybe one of the locals will  
know where he is...."  
  
Soun walked over to a middle aged man closing up his store.   
"Excuse me, sir?"  
  
The man looked up. "May I help you?"  
  
"I'm looking for someone who lives around here and I was   
wondering if you could help me find out where he lives."  
  
"Well, I'll try." The man smiled. "Who are you looking for?"  
  
"A Buddhist monk named Cherry." Soun replied.   
  
The man's eyes widened considerably and he started to back   
into his shop. "I-I-I-I d-don't know what you're talking about!"  
  
"He's about this high...." Genma gestured at Happosai.   
  
"NO! That is... I've never seen Sakurambo! I really have to be  
going now!" The man exclaimed as he ran into his shop before anyone   
could stop him and locked the door.  
  
Soun and Genma stared at the closed door in bewilderment.   
Happosai softly chuckled to himself while Ranma sighed.  
  
This was going to be harder than they thought....  
  
  
MAY 21, 1968  
OUTSIDE THE MOROBOSHI RESIDENCE?  
5:00 P.M.  
  
Mrs. Moroboshi blinked as she glanced around her   
surroundings. She didn't know why but somehow things looked   
different. She decided she was just tired and turned around to go back  
into the house.  
  
She gasped in shock. The house was beautiful! There was no  
evidence of damage and the paint looked new. Why, it looked just like   
it did when she and her husband were first married.  
  
But why did everything else look so different and yet familiar?   
Mrs. Moroboshi was perplexed until she heard a voice behind her.  
  
"Excuse me, is there something I can help you with?"   
  
Mrs. Moroboshi turned around to see a pretty young woman.   
She was about to introduce herself when Mrs. Moroboshi's face suddenly  
went white as she realized who the woman was....  
  
"You... You're... We're...." Mrs. Moroboshi stammered.  
  
The young woman stared at her curiously. "Is everything all right?"  
  
Mrs. Moroboshi felt herself grow lightheaded as she fainted dead away.  
  
  
***   
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED.....  
  
  
Thus ends the first part. I'd like to thank Sean Gaffney for giving me   
permission to write a sequel to his story. I hope you enjoyed this and   
the original story. C&C, as always, is welcome. (fcasper@yesic.com) :)  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Megane 6.7  
  
'A MSTing for All Seasons'  
http://www.nabiki.com/mst 


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